One year can change a lot

By Derrick Newman

A year ago Darryl Sutter was canned as the General Manager of the Calgary Flames. The Flames subsequently went on an unbelievable ascent up the Western Conference standings to come only three points shy of a playoff berth.

Fast forward to today. Darryl is now the head coach of the LA Kings and the Flames are a different looking team.

They are substantially younger with the likes of Roman Horak, Blake Comeau, Mikael Backlund, Paul Byron, TJ Brodie, Leland Irving, and Greg Nemisz all getting time with the big club.  This has led to a small dose of optimism in this city...ok, well less pessimism.

#18 and #19 - St Pete Times Forum and BankAtlantic Center

My mission is to see the Flames play in all 30 NHL arenas, a mission that began in October of 2005 while at a local pub watching the Flames take on the Oilers. With the previous season’s work stoppage, and the season before’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals, Flames tickets had become a very hard item to come by. I was then struck with the idea of combining two of my favourite activities; watching hockey and travelling. You can follow my quest to visit all 30 arenas right here…

December 15, 2011 - Tampa Bay, FL

My first game in the Sunshine State got off to a rough start when there were problems with our flights.  To make a long story short, we flew to Tampa from Calgary, via Vancouver and Ottawa, before touching down at 8:40PM the night of the game.  Yes, puck drop was at 7:30, so this was a bit of a problem.

After running through the terminal Amazing Race-style to the taxi stand, we were lucky enough to get Ray as our cabbie.  After telling him we were in a bit of a hurry, Ray put petal to metal, and made the 12 mile journey from the airport to our hotel in under ten minutes.  It was an impressive bit of driving, and allowed us to make it to the arena in Tampa for the start of the third period.

Words cannot describe how foul
this jersey really is.
- Flames/Lightning
15 Dec 2011

This marks the latest I've ever arrived for a game, and yes it's quite shameful, but it was better than not making the trip at all.  But, it also means I can't really comment too much on the game or the arena.  Situated right on the water in downtown Tampa, the arena itself is quite impressive.  It's big, it's nice, and for the most part, full of hockey fans.  I was quite surprised by the crowd, as I was expecting more of a Phoenix-style audience; an arena filled with people who are at the game because it's something to do, not because they love hockey.  Instead, Tampa fans seemed to be quite knowledgeable, they wore Lightning jerseys and made for a good crowd.  There is an exception however...as we saw the biggest jersey foul to date, a Lightning jersey with 'Gretzky' on the back.  Foul!

Our seats were behind the net in the Flames attack end, and we were able to see two goals in the third, as the Flames fought back to tie it up, before surrendering a goal 30 seconds into overtime.  After the game, basking in the warmth of the Florida night, we headed to a nearby pub fittingly named 'Hattrick's', which served ice-cold buckets of beer and heaping plates of nachos.

It was then back to the hotel for a quick sleep before driving to Ft Lauderdale...



St Pete Times Forum Fast Facts

Seats: Section 124; $38, Stubhub
Score: Flames 4, Lightning 5 (OT)
Arena Rating: 7.0
Unique Concession: Giant, Flintstone-style turkey drumstick
Souvenir Stick: Lightning, wooden
Public Transit: unknown
Unique Arena Trait: Lightning machines to mark goals
Swag: None


December 16, 2011 - Sunrise, FL

After a longer than expected drive down Alligator Alley through the Florida Everglades, we arrived at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, FL, plenty of time before puck drop.  The arena itself isn't too bad, but the location is absolutely horrible.  Right on the edge of the Everglades, the BankAtlantic Center sits amongst a sea of strip malls. far away from...everything.  Our hotel was a $50 cab ride away, and public transit simply doesn't exist.  The arena is surrounded by parking lots and there isn't a single bar or restaurant in sight.  It really doesn't create a very fun atmosphere, and makes it difficult to make an evening of going to the game.  It makes me thankful the Dome is where it is, and hopeful a new arena in Calgary is never built near Balzac.

Because of the inconvenience, I wonder what the arena's location does to Panthers crowds.  People think of it as being Miami's team, but the arena is 50 or 60 miles from Miami.  It's even 20 miles from Ft. Lauderdale.  I wonder how much a downtown location, like Tampa's, would do to make Panthers crowds a little stronger.  I suppose they could also play better hockey, as they've missed the playoffs ten years in a row.

Our seats, at the bargain basement price of $20, were in row 9 of the lower bowl, in the Flames attack end, to Theodore's left.  Despite being a relatively new arena, the seats, at least in the lower bowl, are packed so tight I was unable to sit without spreading my legs, lest my knees bang against the seat in front of me.  Perhaps people in Florida are shorter, but I doubt it.  They were just uncomfortable seats.

The concourses at the BankAtlantic Center are pretty standard, carpeted in places, with the same concession options repeated every few sections.  Very disappointing to say the least.  However, the nice thing is, as is the case with many 'non-traditional' markets, there aren't any line ups!  The adage that the Saddledome spills more beer than arena X, has never been more true.  There also aren't any line ups at the bathroom.  The men's room near our section, with only eight urinals, would have a forty minute line up in the Dome; here it was 'free-flow'.  Adding to the lack of lines, was a shelf to place your beer above each urinal.  Brilliant.  This should be standard at every sporting venue.

One of the great things about attending games in a warm climate like Florida, is wearing shorts and flip flops to the game.  However, this makes it a bit chilly during the game.  Fortunately, there are patios everywhere, so you can go outside and warm up during the intermission.  Such an odd concept for a hockey game.

Following the Flames loss in a shootout, we headed to the Dania Beach Fronton, home to Jai Alai, a game that combines gambling, beer and a ball that travels 200MPH.  Unique to Florida, Jai Alai could be one of the most fun things I've ever attended, and we were only there for an hour.  I could see myself traveling to Florida, just to watch more Jai Alai; it was that awesome.

BankAtlantic Center Fast Facts

Seats: Section 115; stubhub $20 
Score: Flames 2, Panthers 3 (SO)
Arena Rating: 6.2
Unique Concession: Cuban sandwiches
Souvenir Stick: Panthers, wooden
Public Transit: None
Unique Arena Trait: Beer shelves above urinals
Swag: Red Panthers towels

The trip was a quick one and saw the Flames only manage two points, but I can now say I've been to Florida, visited two new arenas, and had a lot of fun. Now to figure out where the next road trip will take me!

-TheRev

Jersey Fouls!
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Preview of Road Trip XVI

After over a year, my mission of seeing the Flames play in every NHL arena continues this week, with a short sojurn to the Sunshine State, Florida.  The timing couldn't be better, as it's always nice to visit somewhere warm in the middle of a Calgary December.  The current forecast calls for temperatures int he mid-20's, meaning I'll be wearing my flippy-floppies to the hockey arena.  Tomorrow night, it will be a rematch of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, with a Flames-Lightning tilt at the St. Pete Times Forum, followed by a game against the Panthers on Friday night, in Sunrise.

I've actually never visited Florida, despite having been to 44 other states, so I'm pretty excited to be scratching another off the list, but of course it's the two hockey games that are the most important and visiting my 18th and 19th NHL arenas.

This will mark the first time Newman is joining us on the road!  While he made the trip to Edmonton a few years ago, he's never been along for a Flames game South of the border.  I forecast sun, beer, and hockey.  Plus a little Jai Alai.

You can follow Road Trip XVI thw following ways:

1. On TSR @ the Flames Road Trips page

2. Updates on

3. Progress on The Map

4. Photos on Flickr

-TheRev


Keep an eye out for some Florida Jersey Fouls!
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What's Happening in the Press Box?

by Bryan Wright

There is a new trend in hockey broadcasts that really, really bothers me.  One that makes my blood boil.  It bothers me for several reasons, but mostly because I can’t figure out the reason it is done.  I’m talking about when a broadcast shows the GM after a goal.  This seems to be a pointless camera shot meant to…well to…well that’s the problem, I don’t understand why this is done.

Don't pay for the whole seat,
you'll only need the edge!!

If my memory serves me correctly, this trend really took off when Brian Burke became the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  The team was terrible and Burke had a reputation for being a curmudgeon; a combination that meant the Leafs would surrender a lot of goals causing Burke to blow his top.  Of course the only thing that we ever saw was Burke sitting in his press box, hands folded in front of his face, grimacing.  Great stuff!  It quickly expanded to include times when the Leafs scored, as if we might get to see Burke jumping out of his seat, high-fiving the people around him and maybe even shaking his hand at the camera, yelling ‘we’re number one!!’

Flames Escape Hurricane of a Finish

By Derrick Newman

Well that was different...

Scoring seven or more goals for the first time since Valentines Day last year when they beat the Avalanche 9-1, the Calgary Flames squeaked by the just as desperate Carolina Hurricanes 7-6 on Tuesday night in Calgary.

The offence came alive scoring two in the first, two in the second, and adding on three in third, including Jarome Iginla’s empty net goal which proved to be the eventual winner.

The line of Iginla, Jokinen, and Brendan Morrison combined for 10 points on the night and were the driving force behind a much needed win – regardless of how ugly it got in the dying seconds.

The Flames also threw the 10,000 pound gorilla off their back when Mikael Backlund scored on the power play halfway through the third to break a string of 27 straight chances at home on the man advantage without a single goal – a streak that dates back to October 26^th.

A trophy by any other name would smell as sweet

by Bryan Wright

Just imagine how glorious a July it would be, if the Calgary Flames invited four other NHL teams, of their choosing, to play in a round-robin tournament following the Stanley Cup Finals.  The five teams would each play each other a couple of times, before moving into some kind of playoff format, eventually crowning a champion for the 'mini-season.'  They could get a couple of sponsors on board, say Imperial Oil, donate a lot of money to charity, and make it an annual affair.  It could become known as the Esso Flames Challenge.  How exciting would that be?

What would be even more exciting, is if the Flames were able to win their own 'challenge.'  The press in Calgary, and the Flames' legions of fans could celebrate as if their team had just won the Stanley Cup, because let's face it, that would be as exciting.  The City could host the Esso Flames Challenge Champions parade and everybody could really let loose for a few days, to revel in their glory.

The Beginning of the End

By Nick Symon

Sometimes reality isn’t what people want to hear, it can be good at times but harsh at times. Never has it been more apparent that the Flames should re-build after their mediocre 10-12-2 start, including two losses to the last place Columbus Blue Jackets. It’s the same story over and over again: consistency, competing, playing the system etc. etc. etc. 

Quite frankly as a Flames fan I am sick and tired of watching, listening and talking about it constantly.

I really thought the Flames were in a stage a couple seasons ago much the same the Philadelphia Flyers were in, in 2006-07. That year the Flyers were horrible, much worse than the Flames have been in recent seasons.  Then, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren swung three deals (essentially two) which helped turn the franchise back into a contender as fast as you can say ‘top cheese’. 

A New Low: Flames Lose to Jackets

By Derrick Newman

Really?

It isn’t hard enough being a Calgary Flames fan right now and they go and pull a stunt like this...

Up 3-1 with less than five minutes left against the WORST team in the NHL and the Flames somehow find a way to lose.

Is this 1999 all over again? Where are the young guns? Is Todd Simpson the captain? Where’s Sasha Lakovic when you need him?

This has gone from embarrassing to downright laughable.

The Flames, who claim to be a veteran laden professional hockey team, continue to exhibit traits of an inexperienced pre-pubescent novice division-five team that can’t form a functional power play and can’t shut a team down if their life depended on it.

They haven’t scored a power play goal since last week in Detroit and haven’t scored a power play goal on home ice since, get this, October 26^th , when they managed to beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2.  

Talk about long time no eat.

Book Review: 'A Course Called Ireland' by Tom Coyne

by Bryan Wright

Now that Calgary is firmly into the winter season, I thought it time to talk about my summer passion, golf.  Well, not necessarily about golf, but rather a book about golf.  Several months ago I read a book entitled A Course Called Ireland by Tom Coyne.  With the sub-title ‘A Long Walk in Search of a Country, a Pint, and the Next Tee,’ it chronicles the author’s four month journey golfing and drinking in Ireland.  Of course there are no shortage of books on the subject, so Coyne threw in a tiny caveat; he walked from course to course, circling Ireland, over 1,000 miles, on foot.

Obviously this book is aimed at the golfer in the crowd, but it’s as much about Ireland as it is about golf and could be classified as a travelogue as much as a golf book.  Instead of a shot by shot account of his over 55 rounds, he instead focuses more on the people he meets, the towns he visits, and the rigors of walking such a distance.

2011 World Sledge Hockey Challenge

by Bryan Wright

Yesterday I attended my first ever sledge hockey game, between Canada and Japan at the 2011 World Sledge Hockey Challenge.  The event is being played at the WinSport Canada Athletic & Ice Complex.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, sledge hockey players sit on a small metal frame, which sits on two skate blades on the ice.  They each have two small hockey sticks with a normal curve on one end for shooting and passing, and small metal spikes on the other, for propelling themselves around the ice.

Game play, for the most part, is very similar to that of a normal hockey game.  Passing and shooting are more or less the same as regular hockey, and players check each other into the boards much the same.  The strategies used seem to be quite similar and the same rules govern play, including interference, hooking, slashing, etc. penalties.  One new penalty, which caught me a little off guard was ‘t-boning.’  This is when one player crashes into another, much like when one car ‘t-bones’ another.  Despite my high hopes, it did not mean everybody in attendance received a free steak.

Let's be honest: The Calgary Flames Suck

By Derrick Newman

Definition of Struggling: Strive to achieve or attain something in the face of difficulty or resistance.

In a nutshell, this defines the Calgary Flames, period.

With six losses in their last eight games, the Flames are quickly falling out of the race for a playoff spot and rapidly increasing their chances of winning the draft lottery.

Now some might say, “Just look at last year and what the Flames managed to do after they fired Darryl. It can happen again.”

So what is it this time that’s going to spark this band of low scoring misfits to do a complete 180 and get the ship pointed in the right direction?

Book Review: King of Russia by Dave King

I read another hockey book this week, again with a Calgary Flames connection; King of Russia by Dave King.  King, who coached the Canadian national team for almost ten years and coached the Flames for three seasons, was the first North American coach in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.


The book reads as a journal from King’s season in Russia, while he coached Mettallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL, from the start of training camp (in July!) through the end of the season in April.  He details his difficulties with language and cultural barriers, and his relationship with the players (including a 20-year old Evgeni Malkin), all the while chronicling his team’s season.

Heading into this book, I was quite interested to learn about playing hockey in Russia.  I’ve heard so many stories, be it about mafia connections, briefcases of cash, or dodgy arenas.  It’s always seemed like such a culture change for anybody who goes over there.

Pulling the Goalie: Savvy or Stupid?

Last week I was sort of ranting about the mindset of many hockey people.  Basically, that they stick with old ideas because they always have, not because there is any inherent logic to doing so.  One of the things that really perplexes me in a hockey game is pulling the goalie late in the 3^rd, when a team is down by a goal.  Although I am unable to back this up with any statistics, it strikes me as a bad idea that more often than not, ensures the trailing team won’t win the game.

The thought is, that with an extra attacker on the ice, the chances of scoring a game tying goal are increased.  But the catch of course, is that you no longer have a goalie.  There’s no way the opposing team’s chances of scoring a goal are not also greatly increased.  So the question is, do the benefits of having an extra player outweigh the disadvantage of not having a goalie?

Book Review: Playing with Fire by Theo Fleury

I finally got around to reading one of the most notable hockey books to come out in a few years, Playing with Fire, by Theo Fleury.  Growing up, Fleury was one of my favourite players.  Of course he was.  Everybody loved the way he played the game; scrappy, quick, and tough.  He was one of the best players in the league, and for a few seasons, pretty much the only bright spot on the Calgary Flames.  But after being traded from the Flames to the Avalanche, his star sure fell, and fast.  And that’s what Playing with Fire is about; Fleury’s fall from grace and why it was basically inevitable.


Most already know the story, so in terms of any major new developments, there aren’t any.  But the book does offer an excellent behind the scenes look at what was happening to Fleury during his rise to fame in junior hockey, his ascent to the NHL, and his eventual downfall.  While most may know the story, they may be surprised at the extent of his problems.

Without a doubt the most notable chapters would be those concerning the abuse he suffered at the hands of his junior coach, Graham James.  While the fact that Fleury was abused is already known, the book explores how it began, how it happened, and how he dealt (or failed to) with it.  Obviously it was a life altering experience, with a profound effect on who he was and who he would become.  At times these chapters are a little difficult to read, purely because of the subject matter, but I must hand it to Fleury for having the courage to come out and talk about something of this nature, so openly.  Few are able to do the same.

Hagman Claimed by Ducks

By Derrick Newman

It’s official.

The Niklas Hagman era in Calgary has come to an end as the much maligned winger was picked up on re-entry waivers by the Anaheim Ducks today.

Now, maybe not the most significant era in the annals of the Flaming C, but one that caused controversy from the very beginning.

Hagman came to Calgary alongside press box junkie Matt Stajan, current Red Wing Ian White and current Blackhawk Jamal Mayers for Dion Phaneuf, Keith Aulie, and Freddy Sjostrom.

In 108 games with Calgary he racked up 17 goals and 25 assists – not exactly numbers worth the $3 million price tag. 

Flames Split Back-to-Back

Courtesy: Calgary Herald

By Derrick Newman

First the Calgary Flames can’t score a goal to save their own lives in Chicago and make NHL cast-off Ray Emery look like the next coming of Jacques Plante. Then they look like the Edmonton Oilers of the high flyin’ 80s putting up four goals in a period and half in Colorado tonight. And in the end of this mini two game road trip the Flames looked like the Flames – white-knuckling the steering wheel and hovering the brake trying to desperately hold onto a four goal lead.

It has been said it’s the worst lead in hockey.

To give them credit, they registered the ‘W’ on the back half of back-to-back games – now 1-1 in that situation this season – and maintained their dominance over their division rivals with their 8^th straight win over the Avs.

None of this could have been possible without the stunning brilliance of Miikka Kiprusoff. He was outstanding in every facet of goaltending. He made save after save and enabled the Flames to inch closer to the .500 mark after dropping two straight and three of their previous four games.

Flames Moves: Youth Movement

By Derrick Newman

Some quick hits on the recent Flames moves...

In a flurry of activity on the Flames front Niklas Hagman was placed on waiver today and if, when, he clears he will be sent to Abbotsford. This move was made because Mikael Backlund will be activated from the IR tomorrow morning after sitting out the first 14 games with a broken pinky.

Also, Paul Byron was recalled from the Heat because Brendan Morrison was placed on the IR with what is basically being deemed as a failure to recover from knee surgery properly – or in English terms, he came back too soon.

Further to all this was the activity yesterday with Anton Babchuk being placed on the IR with a broken hand and TJ Brodie being recalled.

So with all this the team just got significantly younger and quicker with the likes of Brodie on the back end, and Backlund and Byron up the middle.

Seeing Hagman sends a serious message from ownership in that the dollar figure beside a players name means little to nothing as Hagman’s $3 million cap hit will be buried in the AHL.

The team is in need of a serious energy boost after starting the season a very mediocre 6-7-1 record and having recently scored only three goals in their past three games.

The team holds almost an identical record to 2010-11 version of Flames at this point in the season. 

The Flames are a league worst 2-for-34 on the powerplay at home this season, thanks large in part to Tuesday’s 0-for-7 outing, which included a five minute powerplay.

Sutter called out Alex Tanguay, saying he is too “soft” on the power play and very easy to play against because everyone knows what he is going to do. You can’t really disagree with that assessment as everyone in the Dome knows he is looking for #12 at all times.

They need to instil some much needed creativity into the man advantage unit and maybe with the addition of Backlund and possibly Brodie, you see that. Both guys will be chomping at the bit to make an early impact.

The Flames play the Blackhawks tomorrow night. The season series last year was 2-2 with the home team winning each time.  The Flames had great success on the PP versus the Hawks last year going 6-for-20 over the four game span. Maybe the Hawks are just what the doctor ordered.

The Flames are 3-3 on the road this season.

JERSEY FOULS!!!!


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The Path Less Travelled

Backlund is one of only two players playing for the Flames
that was drafted by the team.

By Guest Blogger Greger Buer

When you hit a fork in the road, you must choose a path. Left. Right. The Calgary Flames have been sitting at the crossroads for the past five seasons. At the end of each year, the Flames either came off a crippling first round defeat or missed the playoffs entirely. After each of these disappointments fans, media, and folks in the organizations themselves would try to explain what they thought the team needed to do to improve. Most of the time the problems these groups found were definitely viable, but the fundamental problem is this was a veteran team that gets older every year.

The Calgary Flames are so desperate for youth that everyone around them reacts in utter shock on those few occasions when a young player cracks the roster. Look at the hype when Mikael Backlund broke through, when T.J. Brodie had a solid training camp, or when youngster Roman Horak was named to the season opening squad. 

For most other teams an injection of youth is expected and at least one or two rookies make the jump each season. A quarter of the Nashville Predators seem to turn over each year, yet that team consistently makes the playoffs despite a payroll that is dwarfed by Calgary.

It's Always Been That Way

As I mentioned yesterday, in my review of Moneyball, there are a lot of stupid stats in sports.  Well perhaps stupid is too harsh of a word, but flawed stats would be very accurate.  While I was reading the book, I kept going back to hockey, and how so many statistics in hockey don’t make any sense.  And not just how the stats are often flawed, but also how conventional thinking in hockey is often flawed.

Like baseball and like most professional sports, much of the decision making is made by former players.  While they have a lot of insight into the game, having played it, they aren’t really capable of looking outside the box.  The thing about former players is they don’t have any experience or more importantly any education outside the game.  As a result, ‘gut feeling’ is a popular method when making a decision, and reliance on these flawed stats, dominates their thinking.  The doomed philosophy of “that’s the way it’s always been…’ is so prevalent in sport.  When it comes to stats in hockey, there are several that come to mind as being fundamentally flawed, but I’ll just take a look at a couple that stick out in my mind.

Book Review: Moneyball by Michael Lewis

There are two things I spend the majority of my free time on; reading and sports.  Of course these aren’t two mutually exclusive activities as there is no shortage of books about sports.  I then occurred to me I should be  writing about the sports books I read.  So, without further ado, I give you the first in a series of weekly TSR book reviews, starting with Moneyball by Michael Lewis.

The movie “Moneyball” has been out for a couple of weeks now, and I haven’t seen it.  But, I finished reading the book on the weekend, and the book is always better than the movie.  Always.  There are no exceptions.  Deliverance was close, but the book was still better.  I am really interested to see “Moneyball” now however.  But I digress, I just read the book, and it was great.

Flames Bury Avalanche

By Derrick Newman

Dominate for two periods and then white knuckle the steering wheel and hold on for dear life.

That was the story of the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night in a 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche, who suffered their first defeat away from home after starting the season with six straight wins in opposing barns.

The Flames were led by rookie Roman Horak, who scored his first as a Flame tonight while adding one assist, and Rene Bourque, who potted his team leading fourth and fifth goals of the season.

Despite outshooting the Avs 12-1 in the first 10 minutes of the game, it was Colorado who struck first on the power play putting the Flames behind the 8-ball early.

But, the Flames didn’t panic, which is a good sign, and stuck to their game answering right back less than three minutes later when Horak took a pass from Tanguay, moved it to his backhand and put it upstairs all while falling to the ground.

One he’ll remember for a while I’m guessing.

No Afternoon Delight: Flames lose second straight

By Derrick Newman

Well, that was an exciting Saturday afternoon of hockey at the Saddledome.

Anyone who actually paid for tickets should be forming a line at the box office demanding their money back for that snoozefest.

Now, to be fair, this was in the cards from the beginning given the odd time of the game (2pm), which usually means players rhythms are thrown off forcing them to come out either slow, disjointed, lethargic, or all of the above.

Also, the Flames were playing the Nashville Predators, who possess no enigmatic scorers on their team and work as a team defensively to lull you into a dreary slumber and subsequently take advantage of a lucky bounce – the first goal they scored off Niklas Bergfors shoulder—and then pounce on one of only legitimate scoring opportunities all game to put the nail in the coffin and the fans fleeing for the exits in disgust.

It wasn’t pretty.

Should Calgary Flames fans be worried?

By Derrick Newman

After starting the season with one win over the first four games, should Calgary Flames fans be worried?

Well, truth be told you probably should’ve been worried before the season even started, or perhaps should have just lowered your expectations.

I know what people are going to say now, “Here comes Newman with another cynical look at the Flames,” but really what’s there to be happy about?

Let’s find some positives, shall we?

Flames downed in Opener

By Derrick Newman

Watching the Flames home opener last night, you couldn’t helped be filled with a little bit of optimism heading into a brand new season where anything is possible and dreams of a playoff berth seem realistic.

After one period, everything looked great. The Flames were up 1-0 on the Penguins, despite being outshot 9-4.

Then it all went downhill – fast.

Four goals in the span of just over 11 minutes and the Flames were left wondering which way is up.

When you produce only nine shots through two periods, you don’t really deserve to be in the game anyways.

The Penguins are simply a better hockey team, and it was clearly evident last night. Even without the best hockey player in the planet on their roster, they picked apart the Flames like they were an AHL team.

Last night was simply a display of a cup contender taking on a fringe playoff team and the drastic difference between the two.

The Flames looked decent for a about five minutes of the opening period, but then came off that high very quickly and back down to harsh reality.

Sure the Flames made a valiant last ditch effort to get back in the game, but how eerily familiar was that to so many games last season?

You can say what you want about this being the first game of the season and not to worry just yet, but this was just a prime example of how far removed the Flames are from being an elite team in this league.

\Side Note: I read in Eric Francis’ column on Thursday or Friday that Brent Sutter is “one of the best most accomplished coaches in the league.” Please explain to me how a guy who has never made it out of the first round of the playoffs as a coach and missed the playoffs in back-to-back years is considered an “accomplished coach.” Sure, he has accolade for his achievements in junior, but that doesn’t always translate. Don Hay is a great junior coach, but failed miserably at the pro level. I just don’t understand why Sutter gets all this praise for being this amazing coach, yet all he’s done is lead the Flames to back-to-back early golf seasons.

Check out the latest Jersey Fouls! from last night's game HERE!
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Do You Want Frys.com With That?

Brendan Steele, Briny Baird, Garret Willis, Matt Bettencourt.  Golf's Mt. Rushmore?  Not exactly. They sit atop the leaderboard and are merely four of the 85 golfers who are currently ahead of Tiger Woods at the Frys.com Open this week in San Martin, California.  My how the mighty have fallen.

Timber!

There was a time when Tiger Woods shunned tournaments with url's in the title, now it may be one of the few he's eligible for.  Not having played since an MC at the PGA Championship in August, there has been so much speculation that Tiger's career may be over.  He hasn't won a tournament in over two years now, and outside of a T4 at the Masters, hasn't even really contended in one for over a year.  He simply isn't the same golfer that dominated the sport for over ten years.

To silence the critics, Tiger needs a good finish, even if only a top ten, simply to say to everyone 'I can still play.'  Playing in the Frys.com Open, a smaller tournament with lesser known names, less media attention and less pressure, may seem like the perfect opportunity for a fallen star to regain his lustre.

But through one round, it hasn't been pretty for the IHOP frequent flyer, who struggled to a two-over 73 on Thursday.  The problem with playing in a smaller tournament, with lesser known names, less media attention and less pressure, is it is also interpreted to be 'easier' for a golfer like Tiger Woods to do well.  He shouldn't just finish well this week, he's expected to run away with this tournament.  Or at least old Tiger would have been.  New Tiger, Tiger 2.0, Tiger sans Steve, whatever we call him, shouldn't be expected to run away with this tournament.  In fact, it should be surprising if he does play well.  No longer is he Tiger Woods, the world's most dominant golfer.  Now he is Tiger Woods, 132nd in FedEx points in 2011, playing out what's left of the exemption from his 2008 US Open win.


-TheRev


Jersey Fouls
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30 Teams 30 Thoughts

By Nick Symon, Guest Blogger
Twitter: @NickSymon

1.     Anaheim Ducks- The return of age-less 41 year old Teemu Selanne has Ducks management breathing a sigh of relief, providing them with secondary scoring after their big three of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan. The bigger return to the Ducks could possibly be goaltender Jonas Hiller who has said he is full recovered from his bout with vertigo. Hiller can be an elite goalie when healthy and could be the x-factor for the Ducks to compete with the Sharks & Kings for the Pacific division.

2.     Boston Bruins- There is always the concern of a Stanley Cup hangover but the Bruins have more than enough depth to overcome that. Sophomore Tyler Seguin could be the breakout player in 2011-12 after his dazzling performance in the latter half of last year’s playoffs. Seguin will probably stay on the wing this season which should see him get top-six minutes.  

3.     Buffalo Sabres- No one made a bigger impact in the off-season then the Sabres did. Sabres owner, Terry Pegula has brought the passion and more importantly the money to Buffalo – a perpetual small market team where players develop and then leave for the bigger pay day. New faces around the Sabres locker room include, Ville Leino, former Flame Robyn Regehr and Christian Ehrhoff, who join a healthy Derek Roy, up and coming Tyler Ennis and arguably the best goalie in the league, Ryan Miller. The Sabres should compete for the top spot in the east and possibly Lord Stanley’s mug in the spring.  

4.     Calgary Flames- I hate to be a broken record but the burning question in Calgary is, will the Flames be able to continue their success they enjoyed late last season, which saw them fall just short of the playoffs? Or was it just a team on a hot streak that is continuing to age? Personally I look more at the latter, hoping they prove me wrong. Captain Jarome Iginla continues to carry the team on his back as he approaches 500 career goals (484). Mikael Backlund was in line for a breakout year as he was slotted to play in between Iggy and Alex Tanguay on the Flames top line, but now with his recent injury he won’t likely see action until sometime in November – a big loss for the team, but possibly a bigger loss for Backlund’s development. 

Roman Empire: Horak looks to stick with the Flames

By Derrick Newman

Roman Horak is quickly allowing Calgary Flames fans to forget about Tim Erixon.

Horak, who came over from the New York Rangers for the highly touted Erixon, has been 2011’s version of TJ Brodie – in other words a rookie who has surprised everyone by sticking around in the big city.

With today’s demotions of both Paul Byron and Lance Bouma, it seems almost a given that Horak will make his NHL debut next Saturday against the Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Rules of Jersey

TSR has been receiving a lot of questions lately about different jersey fouls.  People seem to be taking this tragic fashion problem seriously, so we felt it was time to expand and clarify the rules.  Of course it all comes down to common sense, but just in case:

Basically, there are three main rules to wearing a jersey, each with their own exceptions and a couple of amendments.

Rules of Jersey Wearing

1. Appropriate Jersey: A fan is never to wear a jersey from a team that isn’t playing.  If you’re at a Flames game against the Oilers, you should not be wearing a Panthers jersey.

1-1. Headwear: Hats do not apply to Rule 1.  If you’re at a Kings-Stars game, whilst on vacation in Southern California, it would be okay to wear a Flames hat.  After all, they’re jersey fouls, not headwear fouls.

1-2. Multiple Events: If a fan is attending another sporting event that same day, it is deemed acceptable to wear attire from that game to the other event.  When TheRev went to a Cubs/Cardinals game in Chicago in 2009, he was decked out in his Flames gear in preparation for that night’s Flames/Blackhawks tilt.

1-3. Sister Teams: You may wear a jersey from a team of the same city. It is okay to wear a Stampeder jersey to a Flames game, although it isn’t encouraged.

1-4. National Teams: National team jerseys are almost always acceptable attire for a sporting event.  If you’re at an NBA game, it is acceptable to wear a Team USA jersey.  However, if you’re at the Olympics watching a game between Team Belarus and Team Kazakhstan, your Team USA jersey becomes an opposing, non-playing team jersey, and Rule 1 applies.

2. Jersey Nomenclature: Fans are not to have their own name sewn onto a jersey.  You didn’t play for the team, nor are you part of the organization.

2-1. Appropriate Positions: Those who play an important role within the organization, but didn’t play for the team, may have their name put onto the back of a jersey, as per Rule 2-A-i.

2-1-a. Team owners and team coaches. Being a ‘superfan’ is not deemed to be an important part of the organization and therefore does not warrant having your name on your jersey.

2-2. Non-names: The name rule also applies to sayings, slogan, websites, nicknames, mantras, mottos, catchphrases, organizations. While the number 69 is a funny number, you shouldn’t use it on a jersey unless you’re wearing a Capitals jersey with Angelstad on the back.

2-3. Authentic Era: When player names are being put on the back of a jersey, a fan must ensure they have the correct jersey for that player’s era. Don’t put Lanny’s name on the back of a black, flaming horse jersey. Lanny didn’t wear it and neither should you.

3. Tucking: Do not tuck you jersey into your pants.  It looks really, really stupid.

3-1.  Uniform Exemption: As baseball, basketball and football players tuck their jersey into their pants, as part of their uniform, those wearing full uniforms to a sporting event may tuck their jersey into their pants.  If you would like to attend a Cleveland Indians game, dressed in full uniform, then by all means, tuck your jersey into your pants.  In fact, it’ll look stupid if you don’t.  Ironic that the exception includes a full contradiction of the rules; it seems jersey fouls are like French verbs.

Amendments

I. Amateur Sports: When attending an amateur event, jersey fouls do not apply, unless it is an opposing, non-playing team’s jersey, then again, Rule 1 is in effect.  You can wear any jersey to a Vipers game, except a jersey from another team in that league.

II. Bullshit Jerseys: Under no circumstances should any fan wear a jersey representing the Oilers, Canucks, Maple Leafs or Roughriders.

Remember, when you wear a jersey to a game, and that team’s playing, you’re a fan.  When you wear the jersey of a team that isn’t playing, you look as stupid as that guy wearing his Chargers jersey to Wal-Mart on a Wednesday, just like you saw on peopleofwalmart.com

Click here to see past examples of Jersey Fouls and don't forget to send the ones you see in to thesportsroundup@gmail.com

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The Circle of Life

For those of you who don't know I have recently joined forces with Ritch Winter, a player agent who represents such players as Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky, to get the hockey agents voice heard. In this piece, Ritch gives public a first hand look at what he went through during the Russian plane crash and how agents deal with such horrifying situations. It's a moving piece, and very sincere. Please click the link below to read more:

http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2011/09/circle-of-life.html


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Beer and Hockey

Well hockey has returned to the Saddledome with last night’s pre-season tilt between the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.  What can I really say about the game?  While brochures handed out at the entrance proclaim that ‘every game matters’ we all know that may be true, with the exception of the pre-season games, which don’t matter at all.

The fact that these games don’t matter is quite apparent too, as there is an obvious lack of intensity from players, coaches, media and fans.  It just isn’t the same.  Having said that, I always enjoy going to the first pre-season game, as it’s a chance to get back into the Dome, and get back into the swing of watching the Flames play on a regular basis.

I can’t really comment much on the game last night.  Some will say there are players ‘fighting for jobs,’ but really, are there?  There are maybe two players, maybe, that have a chance of ‘cracking the lineup.’  This team is pretty much set.  And I definitely couldn’t comment on the Canucks, who were fielding a team that wouldn’t even hold water in the AHL.  I mean, they had Anders Eriksson in their line up.  Anders Eriksson!  I guess Andrei Zyuzin was busy.  As with any pre-season game, I didn’t head into this one with any kind of expectation of seeing some great hockey.  But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t disappointed.

Earlier this month, or maybe it was in August, there was a new partnership announced between the Flames and Budweiser.  Waking up early that day to watch the press conference live (okay, I watched it on-line a week later), I listened with excitement as things like the first ‘beeriod’ were announced, as a chance to elevate the fan experience.  And most importantly, it was announced there would be bottom pour technology at the Dome (this was on the tarmac during Stampede if you aren’t familiar).

I didn’t see the first beeriod last night.  And while I did see one bottom pour station on the main concourse, I expected to see them everywhere.  Disappointment isn’t a big enough word for what I felt last night.

Now maybe it was only a pre-season game, and the technology will be installed everywhere by the home opener, and maybe the first beeriod will be ready to go.  It better, or there I will have been let down, by beer.  Something I never thought would ever  happen.

-TheRev


Jersey Fouls!
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Langk You Very Much: Daymond Langkow Traded

By Derrick Newman

Following Robyn Regehr and Ales Kotalik out the Scotiabank Saddledome door this summer is yet another high priced contract in Daymond Langkow.

Langkow is set to make $4.5 million this season and coming off a near career ending injury, the 35-year-old wasn’t getting any younger.

Sure, Langkow is a serviceable, reliable veteran who can play anywhere from the first to the third line without ever hearing a peep or complaint from him.(The Flames have another player like that in Brendan Morrison)

But simply put, he was not in the long term plans of the team and GM Jay Feaster most likely saw a chance to shed some more salary to give the Flames added flexibility this coming season, while at the same time keeping the team competitive.

Scott Hannan: New Flame but same old strategy

Bringing his talents to cowtown

Written by Newman

I remember a time not too long ago when Scott Hannan was considered one of the premier shut down defenceman in the NHL.

I even remember him being constantly compared to another shut down defenceman – Robyn Regehr.

Where did the time go?

Regehr is gone and Hannan is now a Flame. Not traded for one another, but you can’t help but think that one is replacing the other – even if Hannan is not on the same level as a Regehr at this point in his career.

Hannan had his best days as a San Jose Shark and most of them before the lockout.

Glory's Last Shot or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the PGA

The last major championship of the year, the self-proclaimed ‘Glory’s Last Shot’, the PGA Championship begins today. In a way, the PGA Championship is the red-headed step child of the majors. It doesn’t have the historical significance of a British Open, the national status of a US Open, or the prestige of the Masters. Simply put, it’s the least important major. But, it’s still a major, it’s still a tournament the players want to win, and it still has a very good field. So how to pick a winner?



Don't be fooled by the flags, Americans
almost always win the tourney


To begin, the PGA’s field is different than the other majors. The other three fields feature a host of amateur players taking up spots from potential winners (I have nothing against amateurs in majors, but they don’t really have a chance of winning, and they do keep a professional out of the tournament), while the PGA has twenty odd club pros, who have absolutely no chance of winning. We can shrink the field down quite a bit when looking for potential winners, but there are still a lot of golfers with a chance at the Wannamaker Trophy.

What also makes it more difficult is the PGA’s tendency to crown more ‘one and done’ major winners than the other three. In the past quarter century we’ve seen such household names as Jeff Sluman, Shaun Micheel, YE Yang, Rich Beem, Wayne Grady, Mark Brooks and Bob Tway win this tournament. Hardly world beaters, these are players who never really amounted to much other than that one hot week. So when we look at the field this weekend, these ‘no-name’ players have to be considered, even though their biggest ‘win’ might be a T22 in the Lumber 84 Classic.

Tiger's Ex-Caddy and Other Summer Musings

Tiger has the club in his hand. You are
holding a god damn pin.

By Derrick Newman

Watching the summer go by at the speed of light I have been unable to blog as much as I would like but over the past few days I’ve seen some things that I just can’t keep quiet on...so here are my thoughts in written form.

The Caddy

Steve Williams. Oh Stevie boy. You are a true champion.

Let me get this straight.

Did YOU actually win 145 tournaments? Have YOU won 13 majors? Have YOU won eight times at Firestone? Was that YOU winning by 15 shots at Pebble Beach?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I could have sworn that was Tiger Woods winning, not you.

You were carrying the guys F#%king bag! Get over yourself, please.

Calgary Flames in July

By D. Newman

Well now that the two-week party known as 2011 Calgary Stampede is over, I can get back to writing.

By the way, if you have never been to the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, I would highly recommend it. It’s...a lot of fun.

Anyways, enough bull bustin’, let’s talk some puck.

The Flames have been busy of late making a couple of signings and a small trade.

Non-Moves: Flames Strategy

Courtesy: CP

I go to Idaho for three days and the entire NHL loses it freaking mind.


James Wisniewski 6 yrs, $33 million? Erik Cole 4 yrs, $18 million? Ville Leino, 6 yrs, $27 million?

Is everyone taking crazy pills? And that’s not even half of the outrageous deals that have been handed out over the past couple of days,

What about the “Pick up as many players as possible and sign them to 4 year contracts” strategy that Dale Tallon has employed in Sunrise, Florida?

Canada Day Frenzy: Flames Analysis

By Nick Symon

Friday brings more than just a national birthday, it also brings hockey fans together to get the low down on which free agent will be dawning their favourite teams colors come September. Our hometown Flames have an interesting summer coming up, as GM Jay Feaster gets to start putting his stamp on the franchise. The Flames don’t have a lot of holes to fill but also don’t have much cap space as their current payroll sits at just over 56 million dollars, according to nhlnumbers.com. Feaster already filled the most glaring hole, by re-signing LW Alex Tanguay to a 5 year deal to once again play alongside Captain Jarome Iginla. The cap has once again risen and will sit at 64 million dollars next season, giving the Flames just under 8 million dollars to spend.